A Tale of New Lovers
by LovelyOblivian13
Summary: In Ba Sing Se, while working in his uncle's tea shop, Zuko meets an unexpected character, and her little brother. The guards are abuzz with news of a shadowy "hero" named Shroud.
1. Chapter 1

Zuko was waiting tables in his uncle's tea shop, the Jasmine Dragon, in Ba Sing Se, when a girl walked into the shop. This girl had jet black hair that was pulled back into two ponytails; she was wearing a kimono with various shades of blue on it. "Hello," she said in a voice as smooth as silk and as light as air, "I've been told that this is the best place to buy tea." Iroh turned to the girl, "You have heard right," he said, "What would you like?" She thought for a moment, "What do you suggest?" she asked with a smile. "Jasmine is my favorite." Iroh replied. "I'll try it." She paid him and went to sit at an open table. Zuko walked into the kitchen to take more cups of tea out to customers. "Hey Zuko," his uncle said, "Did you see the girl that just walked in? She's quite the lovely lady." Zuko groaned, "No, uncle, I didn't see her. I was doing my job." Iroh handed the boy a cup, "Well, pay attention. This is hers, table six." Zuko took that cup along with three others, making sure he would get to her last. Finally, Zuko arrived at table six, only to see a girl around his age sitting alone. "Jasmine tea?" he asked, after actually taking a look at this girl. "Yes, that's mine." She smiled as he handed her the tea. "You can have a set if you'd like." She offered "Thank you," Zuko said as he sat down across from her. "I'm Koiyuki, what's your name?" she asked politely. "My name is…" Zuko trailed, "Lee." She took a sip of her tea, her eyes growing wide after drinking it, "Oh my gosh," Koiyuki said with excitement in her voice, "That's the most amazing tea, EVER." She tried to enunciate the last word. "Thank you; it's my uncle's special recipe." Zuko said with a smile seeing how much she enjoyed it. "I have to go, but I'll be back." She said, "Tell your uncle that I love his tea." Zuko waved goodbye to her and cleared her table.

After the tea shop closed for the night, Iroh decide to interrogate his nephew. "So, Zuko, what's her name?" Zuko wasn't paying attention, "Koiyuki, she loved your tea. She said she was coming back." Iroh was beaming, "Good, well it looks like my nephew has a regular." It took Zuko a moment to figure out what his uncle was talking about, "Uncle, no! I will not have you setting me up on a date." His face was red, either from anger or embarrassment, "She's just a customer." "Whatever you say, but she is coming back." Zuko's face grew even redder, "GOODNIGHT!" he said as he stormed to his room.

The next morning Zuko was unlocking the doors to the Jasmine, when a ball hit him in the back of the head, "Oh, no. Sorry mister, I didn't mean to hit you." A young boy said running up to get his ball. Zuko sighed as he handed the boy his ball, "It's alright, you woke me up." He joked. "BAKI! Where are you?" a familiar voice called. Koiyuki came rushing around the corner, "Baki, there you are." Baki groaned, "Geez Koi-Koi, don't worry so much." _'Koi-Koi?' _ Zuko thought "Lee?" she asked, "I'm sorry, about my little brother. He's uncontrollable sometimes." She said as the boy nodded with a smile. "That's fine," Zuko said, "Would you two like a complementary cup of tea?" Koiyuki smiled, "Why, thank you kind Sir."

Koiyuki and Baki stayed longer than one cup of tea. During the morning shift a couple city guards came in, talking loudly about an incident that went on the night before. "Yeah, two more muggers were found pinned to a wall." Said the first guard. "Let me guess, Shroud?" the second guard asked. "Yep, the same note as last time." Zuko heard the conversation, now interested in this Shroud character. "Who's Shroud?" he asked Koiyuki. She laughed, "Shroud is a hero, and he's saved many people. But the guards would rather see him behind bars. I think he's done good for this godforsaken city."


	2. Chapter 2

"Uncle, did you hear about this Shroud person?" Zuko asked while he was in the kitchen. "No, why? What are you thinking?" Iroh asked, staring at his nephew. "I think it might be time for the Blue Spirit to meet a masked crusader other than himself." Koiyuki came into the kitchen, Zuko stopped talking immediately, "Oh, I'm sorry. Am I interrupting you?" Iroh shook his head with a smile, "Of course not, what did you need, more tea? A snack? Did Baki need something?" "No, Baki went to play ball with his friends. I wanted to ask Lee if he'd accompany me to a party that my parents are having tonight." Zuko got a little red in the face, "O-f, course. But why me?" She shrugged, "I figure if you're there I'd have some fun." She smiled deviously. "Of course, he doesn't have to work tonight either. Perhaps afterwards he could show you the firelight fountain." Zuko shot his uncle a look. "That sounds wonderful. I'll meet you here around dusk, before the sun goes down." Zuko nodded, she smiled and left the kitchen. As soon as they were sure she was out of earshot Iroh decided to give Zuko an earful, "Now listen, you're not going to skip on this. Or run out, so you can be the Blue Spirit so you can meet this Shroud. Understand?" Zuko nodded, knowing the consequences of what would happen.

Zuko had finished getting ready a little earlier than dusk, he was anxious. _Why did I let her and Uncle talk me into this? What if her parents hate me?_ He continuously thought these questions through, feeling completely irrational for his fears. Someone knocked on the door of the Jasmine. Zuko walked over and opened it to find Koiyuki dressed in a light pink dress that went to her feet, with a purple sash across her waist. The sleeves covered her hands, "Hello Lee." she said with a sweet smile, "Are you ready?" Zuko called back to his uncle, "I'm heading out."

When they arrived, Zuko noticed that she lived in luxury. "Wow, nice house." he said politely. "Yeah, don't tell my parents. They have a whole schpeel about it." Koiyuki replied playfully. They walked through the doors and saw that the place was packed with finely dressed noble people of Ba Sing Se. There was music, it wasn't completely slow but it wasn't loud. "Koiyuki, there you are," said a woman who looked nothing like the dark haired girl standing next to him. "Oh, who's this?" "Mother," Koiyuki replied, "this is Lee, he works at that wonderful tea shop. Lee, this is my mother, Yuina, and my father, Noma." The man looked nothing like her or Baki, _peculiar,_ Zuko thought. "Please, enjoy the party. Eat, drink, and dance to your hearts content," The man said, leading his wife, who was giving Zuko a disapproving glance, away from the two. "The music had gotten louder and faster, more people began to dance. "Come dance with me." Koiyuki asked him, he nodded and followed her. "Do you know how to dance?" His face grew red, "Well, actually, no." She took his hand, "Just follow my moves." They began to sway, and eventually they picked up their pace and were dancing just as well as everyone else. Then someone screamed, "AAHAAAH!" A man, who was obviously drunk, had a teenage girl by the throat, "If anyone tries to come after us I'll kill her." he threatened as he dragged the poor girl out the door. "Koiyuki, stay ri-. Where'd you go?"

**I don't own Avatar or Zuko. But Koiyuki is mine. Rate an Review plz n thnku**


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